Team Transplant, UWMC

It all started when I showed up down at Safeco Field around 4:25 am.  Shirley Schultz and Ida Boecksteigel were already there.  I parked my car a couple of blocks away, and as I walked to greet them, I started to feel kind of guilty…really…was it necessary to have them get there so early?…I made a lame attempt at apologizing, saying something like, “you know…this might’ve been overkill.  We’ll have to talk about if we really need to get here so early next time.”
To which they both energetically responded, “Oh…Dick’s already been here and signed in!”
I waited with them for the next hour seizing the opportunity to recharge my energy stores by plugging into the enthusiasm that Mark Scott, Micah Gwinn, Janette Morantes, Jason Stahl, James Boecksteigel , Dave and Carla Trulson Essenberg, Katherine MacDonald, Allen Vary, Jonathon Baird and his niece all brought with them as they chose to launch their journey down to Tukwila from our check-in station.
Leaving downtown around 5:30, I headed out to my post.  I parked above I-90 with plans to run to Seward Park.  It’d been a long time since I’d made it out to run that early…shocking how tight I am at that hour!  Nonetheless,  I timed everything just right so that I had enough time to run up the very long hill from Seward Park to the Colombia City Cafe Vita for coffee and a piece of squash bread before the first runners came through.  Otherwise, I’m sure I would’ve collapsed on my couch much earlier in the day!
I positioned myself at my post just as the elite runners started to run by…and made small talk with the event official until our team members started to appear….
The first Team Transplanter on the scene was Jennifer Herlihy.  Looking very fit and comfortable, she cruised down the hill with training partner Lynne Sloan, yelling, “We love you Alysun!”   To which I responded, “I love you more!”   They looked awesome…like they were on an easy Sunday afternoon run.   I know Jen was hoping for a big PR, but her time of 2:0:40 was still very respectable especially when you consider that she was injured most of last fall.   Her performance on Saturday was a certain sign that she’s back and that she has a good training base to take along with her to the Transplant games later this month!
Next  to arrive was  Allen Vary.   While Allen’s become a self-proclaimed aerobic training junkie since his transplant, he’s had all kinds of obstacles challenging his status as a super endurance athlete.  The most recent was a stumble (something about admiring someone’s shoes??)  that left him with a broken hand about 3 weeks before the race.  While this curtailed his cycling, he managed to maintain enough of a running/walking regimen to finish the half marathon in a very fine 2:18:01…It’ll be exciting when he actually gets a day when all the pieces to fall into place…I hope to be there to see it happen!
Mari Jo Fraser once again squeezed us in between baseball games…I think I read somewhere on Sunday night that she had completed a half marathon and 3 baseball games over the weekend.  Now…really….how many people can say they’ve done that in a lifetime let alone in 2 days?!!  Her half marathon time was 2:33:45.
The next participants were a bit of surprise.   Lenard Yen and Mark Scott somehow found each other during the first 5 miles of the race.  And anyone who’s come to a practice knows that when you mix a little Lenard Yen with a little Mark Scott…well….you just have to hold your breath and hope for  the best.   And heaven forbid you should get a dose of an awful lot of either one of them!    From all reports (well…this would be all of the reports from Mark and Lenard), they spent the entire race egging each other on and pushing each other.   If you look at the race photos, you can’t find one shot that doesn’t have both of them in it…or one that doesn’t show the steely determined look of competition on each of their  faces.   When they flew by me going downhill to Seward Park…it was  very clear they were on a mission…
In the final results…Mark, aka, the “coyote” or ”the sticky green guy,” prevailed with an official time 3 minutes faster (a reflection of the corral start) than Lenard, aka, “rock star” or ” cheerleader charmer,” although from the race photos, it’s obvious that in the head-to-head competition, Lenard wasn’t about to Mark an inch and just clipped him at the line.  Both finished with incredible times with Mark finishing in 2:52:31, a near personal best, and Lenard, who has spent the last 2 years ringing on the 3 hour doorbell and who had apparently grown weary of waiting for someone to answer, deciding to just go ahead and bust the whole darn door down.  He crossed the line in a mind-numbing 2:55:27!
And…what of that other walker??….the one that would not be named…the mystery Team Transplanter of Lenard’s e-mail…the one who was sneaking along  the course disguised in a hot pink skort… Well….Far be it for me to ruin the intrigue or blow her cover…but I believe it’s important to give credit where credit is due…and while I have yet to get a formal confirmation…I believe that that elusive walker…the one who managed to overtake the cat’n mouse game just ahead of  her… was none other than lung transplant, Anne Hagerty!   Anne completely ripped up the course, finishing in a super spectacular PR of 2:45:13!!!   Coming so close on the heels of her big race down in Oregon where she set finished in 2:46:30, it’s obvious she was able to ride that thin line between recovery and preparation in the months leading up to the Rock’n Roll Half…not an easy thing to do!  Nice work, hot-pink-skirted mystery transplant walker!   We’re proud to call you one of us!
Jonathan Baird once again had an impressive day that showcased his incredible consistency.   While he got off to a slow start this season, he rallied his training over the last few months, and was bouyed by the support of his niece, who has become a regular at TT events, on race day.   As they passed me, they flashed big grins and laughed…Who laughs in the middle of a half marathon??  People who are having a good time, that’s who…It’s awesome to be in the kind of shape that you can go out and do 13.1 miles and enjoy it!    Jonathon, wearing his floppy safari hat to the end, finished in just over 3 hours, as his chip time was a very fine 3:01:54.
Next…was newcomer, Maggie Kim.  Hard to believe this Team Transplanter is just 6 months out from her surgery as she coasted through the course, running every other mile.   It was a lot of fun to see her cruising downhill to Seward Park…headphones in place…dressed in a brown tank top with her foliage green TT shirt wrapped around her waist…and huge smile on her face!   hmmmm… seems to be a theme here!   Maggie finished in a stellar debut of 3:04:35!
Dan Tennant made his second appearance in the Team Transplant green…and make no doubt about it…we love seeing him in that color!   Another recent transplant, it’s amazing to see the progress he’s made in the past year!  He was someone who got right into training after his surgery which probably explains why he looked so comfortable as he walked by. He and his wife finished in fine form with a very respectable 3:22:11.
And then…came Dennis Cole…What an incredible story this is!   Dennis received his 2nd heart transplant about 2 years ago…His first one lasted 18+ years.   I can’t tell you what a thrill it was to see him running down that hill.   Also dressed in his best TT green, he was flashing one of those amazing smiles as he paused to give me a report on the first half of the race…and make some editorial comments about the water.    I know he slowed down a bit at the end…his final time was 3:27:05…but you know…that just means he’s got a good goal for next time!
Now…about this point, you’re probably thinking…STOP!!  Stop it with all the good stuff, Alysun…I can’t take anymore, but…I can’t do that…because you see…there’s still more good stuff to share!  And…rememeber…I’ve had all this marinating and simmering inside of me for a WEEK so I’ve got to go somewhere with it…
The next wave included our kidney transplants, Micah Gwinn and Jason Stahl. Micah was in a group with James Boecksteigel that was commandeered by Janette Morantes.   They were all business as they marched by…Janette was determined to keep everyone moving and on task.   Incredibly….they all fell in line and the extra focus paid off as Micah who has really been making great strides with his training this past year, finished along with Janette in an unbelievable 45-minute PR, completing the 13.1 miles in 3:28:45….James, who’s also overcome some incredible obstacles to be there on Saturday,  finished in 3:10:04 (obviously he used the corral start to his advantage)…
Jason Stahl, biding his time back in the chase pack…was soaking it all in…the crowds…the music….the scenery…the cheering squads….He had waited one very long year for this moment and he wasn’t going to miss out on any part of it!    He cruised by looking incredibly at ease and relaxed…With this approach, it was obvious that he was in for a big day…and a big day it was!   He chopped an astounding 30 minutes off his time in Seattle last fall crossing the line in….3:48:11!
Also sneaking in with this group was Carla Trulson-Essenberg.   Walking her second half marathon as a Team Transplanter, she once again showed us that gritty determination and competetiveness that we’ve come to expect and love.  Despite a foot issue that popped up during the week leading up to the race, she hung on to finish in a time that was just 5 minutes off of her impressive debut in last year’s event.    I know it was big race for her as as  both her husband and son walked along with her this year.  Carla’s official time was 3:47:11.
Dick Fitzgerald and Ron Adkins, two of our seasoned veterans, rounded out the squad.   Both steady and focused, they wisely avoided the quick early pace and patiently made their way along the course as they waited to make their big strategic moves up the hill to I-90.  When the dust had cleared, Ron, together with his daughter, Heather, managed to edge out Dick at the end, crossing the line in 4:24:14.  Dick still pulled off an excellent finish, winding up the 13.1 mile race in 4:24:30!
Once everyone had cleared the Seward Park area, I started to make my way back to I-90 and my car…darting in and out of the competitors and stopping to walk with team members…whew…it had been 5 hours since I’d last journeyed along this path.  Shocking how stiff I can get when I stand around for 5 hours in between runs!    As I approached I-90, our cheering section was still going strong.  The Millers and Laura Lewis were still every bit as excited to see people come by then as I’m sure they were earlier in the day.  I stayed with them until everyone had passed the 9 –mile mark….
I retrieved my car….headed back to QWEST Field…enjoyed the music and reverie of the finish area…and then once everyone was in, headed back home where I had 45 minute break until the fabulous celebration started back up again in my backyard.
It was a wonderful day…and a wonderful celebration.  Thanks to all of you who helped make it possible…especially those of you working behind the scenes and on the sidelines!   The day would never have happened with out you….
•    Sign in /Sign Out…
Shirley Schultz, Ida Boecksteigel, Jeannie Reynolds, Suzann Stahl, Cindy Weber, Colin Rines, and Vanessa Whitacre
•    Mile 9 Hoopla Station!
Lenore Miller, Steve Miller, and Laura Lewis
•    BBQ
Kris Hendricks, Steve Miller, Dennis Cole, Janette Morantes, and Susan Bussell…and everyone else who contributed to the potluck!  It was unbelievable!
And… I need to give an extra big helping of thanks to Steve and Lenore Miller…Steve was at my house on Friday afternoon ready and eager to report for yardwork duty; both of them were out at the Mile 9 Hoopla Station all morning on Saturday;  and then they showed up early to help with the BBQ set up  and ran the grill for all of us.   They definitely earned their Hollywood stars last weekend!
That’s all for now…I’ll be sending updates on our fall season very, very soon.  Tenative plan is to start up training again the week of August 9th!
Have a wonderful summer…and savor the memories!

Alysun